OSD & RIS & Generate Computer name

[John Leidland]

When we use RIS (F12) to deploy our SMS OSD Image to a new clean pc, we are
ending up with a wrong computer name in our Active Diretory.

Part 1: The RIS part is working correctly and a new computer name is added
to AD with the machine's GUID -this is fine. (The name is correct as defined
by policy)

Part 2: Windows PE now installs the new image to the pc, but the new name
from the RIS part is not being used, the machine is ending up with a random
name, not following our standard name policy.

If we use RIS to installs a clean OS (setup.exe) there are no problems, the
new computer is receiving the right name.

I think there maybe is a problem with the *.sif file or maybe I have to tell
OSD about the name generated by RIS???

Any ideas?

Best regards
John

[Michael Niehaus [MS]]

When adding Windows PE to RIS, the RIS server doesn't really know that it is
different from a normal operating system in that it doesn't require a new
computer account entry in AD, so it adds one anyway. OSD is not aware of
this, though, so it won't use it - it will use whatever value is specified
in the "OSDNEWMACHINENAME" variable. If no name is specified, you will get
a random name assigned (as there is no "old OS" computer name to carry
forward).

Normally, you would modify the RISSTNRD.SIF file for that Windows PE image
to change the "ImageType" entry from "ImageType=Flat" to "ImageType=WinPE".
This causes RIS to no longer create the computer account (to prevent "AD
clutter"), which OSD is not going to use anyway. When making this change,
the Windows PE image will move from the "images" list to the "Tools" menu,
so you have to have the tools menu enabled via GPO to see it. For more
information on this, see the "Zero Touch Installation Deployment Feature
Team Guide" in the Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment
Enterprise Edition (http://www.microsoft.com/desktopdeployment). Using BDD,
you should be able to set the OSDNEWMACHINENAME using the computer's GUID
(as retrieved from WMI). Without BDD, the easiest way is still to use WMI
to query the value (which requires a custom Windows PE image, as the version
included in OSD does not include WMI). Alternatively, you could use
something like SMBIOS2.EXE to get the value, but you'd have to parse the
text output from that utility.

-Michael Niehaus
Senior Consultant
MCS US Centers of Excellence - Deployment AOS
mnie...@microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

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